35 Weeks

Every week, when I do my posts, I am reminded how incredibly blessed I am.  35 weeks, I just can't believe it.  I am getting pretty big and so is my little man.  Sometimes I will lift my shirt up and look at my ever growing belly in the mirror and I still cannot believe that this is happening for us... finally!!  Honestly, and I don't mean to be a downer, but I still feel like it isn't real and that any minute it will be taken from me.  On the outside I put on a pretty good front.  I am able to show the excitement and joy that I am feeling and I am able to hide the fear and anxiety that I feel right along with it.  Lately though, it's become harder for me to push the bad feelings aside.  I can't comprehend that I could possibly deserve to be this happy.  Or, that I deserve to be blessed with this sweet little boy.  Don't get me wrong. I am still over-the-moon, happy about the fact that we are expecting and that this little boy could arrive anytime now (although he and I have an understanding... he's going to wait until 37 weeks at least), it is just when I really stop to think about it, I wonder what is going to go wrong to balance it all out.  It sounds terrible, I know, but I think it comes from experiencing the worst pain anyone could ever imagine... losing a child.  I think that only those who have experienced it, know what I mean.    Okay, I am really done being the Debby Downer now, I just needed to get that out.

At my appointment last week Dr. S was very pleased!  Sawyer is doing great and so am I!  I am about a centimeter and a half dilated and 50 % effaced.  This week we will do our last progesterone injection and Dr. S has told me that as of 36 weeks I can stop taking the nifedipine.  I haven't taken it for a while though and seem to be doing okay. I have noticed an increase in Braxton Hicks contractions but they are very irregular so they are nothing to worry about at this point.  I will go back to see Dr. S at 36 weeks and after that we will do weekly appointments.  Right now we are just watching for signs of high blood pressure.  Because I got preeclampsia pretty badly after Avery was born, I have a 30% chance of getting preeclampsia again, whether it be before or after.  So I am just keeping an eye out for the warning signs and praying that I don't turn into the Marshmallow Man again!


How far along: 35 Weeks



Size of baby: At about 20 inches and five and a half pounds (but with about five more weeks to grow), most of your baby's growth over the next month or so before you meet will be in weight (with a gain of anywhere from one pound to several), not height (baby's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department). Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace these days (on baby, not just on your hips). Back in the middle of your pregnancy, your baby's weight was made up of only two percent fat; now at 35 weeks pregnant, that percentage has soared to closer to 15 percent (and will increase to 30 percent at term). Which means your baby's once skinny arms and legs are now quite plump…and irresistibly, squeezably soft.



 


Weight gain: Ugh... 30+ pounds!!






Maternity clothes: Don't even get me started... it takes me 30 minutes just to find something to wear that still fits!  My belly likes to hang out of the bottom of even my maternity shirts these days!




Gender: BOY!!






Movement: I can tell that this little guy is getting stronger by the day.  Some days I think he is trying to escape.  I wish that I could some how capture it so that I can always remember how amazing it feels when he moves.






Sleep: It is getting harder and harder to sleep through the night but I am sure my body is just preparing me for what is to come. I can't get comfortable and have been starting to get up 2 or 3 times a night to pee. I have been lucky most of this pregnancy because I have been able to go most nights without getting up but I think with him getting so big, and maybe dropping or starting to, my bladder just can't handle the pressure.





Symptoms: Back pain, feet and hands swelling, heartburn, headaches, braxton hicks, occasional cramping, gas, constipation, itchy skin, acne (bad acne), ... the list goes on and on but to be honest... I LOVE IT!!






Cravings: Food!!  I never feel full these days!  I have heard that because the baby is so big, your stomach is supposed to get full faster, but you have to eat more frequently.  This has not been a problem for me.  I could probably eat all day every day and still not feel satisfied.  Although, because of my weight gain, I am trying to not fill the void. 





Best moment this week: Nothing too exciting has happened this week.  I did pack my hospital bag, although I don't anticipate having to use it for another few weeks.  Having my appointment go well was a huge relief and I am just enjoying the time I have left in this pregnancy.  I am trying to cherish it all... good and bad... because I know I will miss it when it's over.




What I am looking forward to: I am finally getting my maternity pictures taken this week!!!  Also, we will be going to Prenatal class #3 and I think Skeet will actually be able to go with this time!!  I haven't learned much yet, because we have been through a delivery before, but it's been a good refresher course and once they start getting into what to do after you take the baby home, I think we will be glad we took the class.